Week 37: Portrait Fashion

September 14, 2016 – Sometimes the Universe perfectly aligns and the photo challenge drops into my lap, like this week’s Portrait Fashion. A fellow moto-girl (and phenomenal photographer) announced her new line of American-Made women’s coveralls (check them out here) so of course I immediately pre-ordered mine and guess when they came? Yep. This week. AND… she asked for a picture of me wearing them. Two birds; one stone.

Week 37: Portrait Fashion

Avant-garde to commercial to traditional, and everything in between.

The focus is the clothes this week

Of all the shots I made, the above photo probably shows off the fashion the least, but I love the mood.

The one I posted to the challenge Facebook page….

…certainly shows the coveralls better, but I look goofy as all get out and also, kind of like I have, well, a package.

I like the more candid nature of this test shot…

…but I’m holding my cell phone and the headlights are off

Self portraits are never easy, especially in the focus realm. Trying to prefocus–especially if you want a shallow depth of field–is so tough. The image is never quite sharp. Plus, in my first batch of pictures, something was always wrong. Foot cut off. Zipper flap splayed open. Pose not working. Headlights not on–all things if you’re looking through the viewfinder, you notice.

Plus… I am NO model. I suck at posing. It all feels so darned awkward.

Second batch I had a helpful tool: My new Canon 5D Mark IV!!!! I’ve been waiting for this camera for forever, well beyond when I seriously needed to upgrade my 7D. Patience paid off. The camera is phenomenal. The remote app and wifi were well worth the wait, not to mention the picture quality. You can actually select the focus point and change settings from the app. Amazing.

***WARNING! WARNING! RANT AHEAD!!!***

Okay. Here it is. I have never been happy with the 7D, sad but true. When I bought the camera years ago–after our house was burglarized and all my equipment stolen–I intended to buy a 5D with my insurance money, but the salesman talked me into the 7D–a brand spankin’ new model I knew nothing about–claiming it was much better for video. I asked if there were any downsides to choosing the 7D over the 5D and he said no, so I listened. It wasn’t until years later, when I was trying to figure out why the camera never looked sharp–even with an L series lens–that I learned the 7D wasn’t full frame. I was furious, but hey, I should have done my own research, right?

Fast forward seven years and I’m bitten again. Not only did he sell me an APS-C camera in the 7D, he sold me EF-S lenses, which WILL NOT WORK on the 5D. What??? I had no clue they wouldn’t work on full-frame bodies. I thought EF lenses were EF lenses. So… my two all-purpose lenses I’d planned to keep in my arsenal for years to come (17-55 and 10-22) are useless now and I need to buy lenses. So frustrating but a great lesson in researching purchases instead of diving in on faith.